Scenes from the Bayou was written in 2016 on a commission from Dr. James Boldin for his trio, the Black Bayou Brass.This piece is a collection of short programmatic scenes that portray various times of day, animals, and scenery at the lush Black Bayou Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Louisiana. The five movements, “Morning on the Bayou,” “Chasing Prey,” “Bayou Boardwalk,” “Cypress Trees,” and “Fire in the Sky" evoke a day in the bayou, morning to night, in rhythms, modalities, and styles that are reminiscent of both the nature and the culture of the area.

Sonata for Horn and Piano was written in January 2018 on a commission from Steven Cohen for his commissioning project, American Sounds, and subsequent album, Steven Cohen: Cruise Control. The first movement of the work is an exercise in writing a fairly straightforward sonata-allegro form in a German Romantic style. The opening is similar to Richard Strauss’ first Horn Concerto in that it begins with a triumphant ascending arpeggio which then works its way down two octaves. In the following two movements, the first theme from the expos++ition undergoes a thematic transformation using two contrasting national flavors. The second movement is a singing mélodie in the style of Gounod. The ABA form features an undulating 12/8 meter which sweeps the song ever forward. The third movement presents the transformed theme in a rondo with grooving Afro-Cuban rhythms. The music challenges the dexterity of the players with fast moving scales and athletic arpeggios. Sections switch between major and minor keys, and the piano and horn trade the melody back and forth before culminating in a final triumphant celebration. The work received its premiere performance at the Northwest Horn Symposium 2018 held at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA.

Three Miniatures was composed in 2017 as a submission to the International Women’s Brass Conference Composition Competition. The first movement is an expressive, lyrical melody played over an ostinato line in the piano part. The slow second movement uses stopped horn and an extended range to convey the nostalgia of days gone by. The last movement has a quick, dance-like feel in 9/8 that has a lyrical, duple middle section that culminates in a rousing conclusion back in 9/8. Satisfying and fun to play, the three movements could easily be programmed as stand-alone works or as a whole and are quite accessible for the motivated high school player, on up.

Dr. Gina Gillie is an Associate Professor of Music at Pacific Lutheran University where she teaches horn and performs frequently in solo and chamber recitals. She is a member of two faculty chamber ensembles: the Camas Wind Quintet and the Lyric Brass Quintet. As an orchestral player, Dr. Gillie held the position of Assistant Principal with Symphony Tacoma from 2008-2017. Dr. Gillie received her bachelor’s degree in Horn Performance from Pacific Lutheran University and her master’s and doctoral degrees in Horn Performance from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. While in graduate school, she began her foray into composition as well as the natural horn, both of which have become specialties for her. As a composer, she enjoys writing chamber music for horn and other instruments, and she frequently receives commissions for a variety of chamber works.

Tara Islas has recently retired as hornist and music arranger with The United States Air Force Band in Washington, D.C.. Ms. Islas holds a Bachelor of Music Degree in Horn Performance from Florida State University and a Master of Music Degree in Horn Performance at the Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music. Her arrangements have been featured by The U.S. Air Force Band's Ceremonial brass, and her original award-winning fanfares, "Ascent to the Summit" and “Forging an Icon”, have been performed by the Dallas Winds and at the International Women's Brass Conference. Ms. Islas been commissioned to write for the Single Reed Summit as well as the Music by Women Festival.